Pick up a book and travel with imagination
To the Editor:
I am writing to thank Sean Kirst on his enlightening coverage of Bloomsday on June 16. James Joyce is a favorite author of mine, and it is good to see journalists like Kirst who appreciate the importance of authors who have the power to transform our imagination. Subsequently, our lives can be positively transformed by the extraordinary activity of reading.

A work such as “Ulysses” is no less than a gift to the humanity that Joyce cherished and understood.

Some of the last words in Joyce’s “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” are: “I go to encounter for the millionth time the reality of experience and to forge in the smithy of my soul the uncreated conscience of my race.” Or, in other words, to form and evolve a society more in touch with the genius of its imagination. I believe that a culture in tune with the powers of the imagination will be a more healthy, vibrant and noble culture.

We cannot let virtual entertainment stifle our shared tendency to apply a mythos to our everyday lives. That was one of the goals of Ulysses — to reveal the beautiful complexity and heroism in what is supposedly an ordinary day. Great books help us to see below the surface, to perceive thoughts that go unspoken, and to reinforce our spirit of humanity. If we allow so much entertainment in life, why not pick up a solid piece of literature and discover where it takes you? Discover the freedom and power of your imagination.

Matt Ray
Chittenango

Humane solution needed
for city deer problem
To the Editor:
What do tulips, phlox, hosta and day lilies all have in common? They are the preferred breakfast, lunch and dinner of deer. I have lived and gardened in the city of Syracuse for over 30 years, and I am writing about the increasing deer problem in my neighborhood.

I live close to Thornden Park and the herds of deer that reside in the park are daily foraging in my neighborhood and garden. They brazenly walk up front steps and wander down our streets in groups of five to seven. They jump or break fences and will do whatever is necessary to get into their favorite restaurant. This problem only began about eight years ago, but each year their increasing numbers and appetite take more of a toll. Recently I was visiting a friend on Crawford Avenue, and she complained of the same problem. Deer jump over her 8-foot fence on a regular basis.

How widespread is the deer problem in the city? How can individuals who care about landscaping and gardening deal with this problem, since the deer have no natural predators within city limits? I am hoping there is a humane way to reduce the population.

Miranda Hine
Syracuse

Proposed resolution
aids parents’ rights
To the Editor:
The Supreme Court used to give parental rights the strictest level of legal protection, but in 2000 it decided it is OK for a judge to weigh those rights on a case-by-case basis. And the Ninth Circuit in 2005 declared that parental liberty “does not extend beyond the threshold of the school door.” Then there’s a United Nations treaty called the Convention on the Rights of the Child that would turn every decision I make for my children into a matter for governmental review.

Fortunately, Rep. Trent Franks, R-Arizona, has introduced a resolution that would propose a Parental Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This common-sense solution to our government’s over-reach into our homes is carefully worded so as not to give the government any additional power over families, while reining them in the area of parental responsibility. The Amendment would protect the high standard of legal protection for parental rights that the Supreme Court once called “an enduring American tradition,” preserving it against foreign treaties or activist American courts.

I support the Parental Rights Amendment. The government has done enough damage in its own realm of authority. I don’t want them doing any damage in mine!